A photographic diary of my exploration of the trails in Colorado's wilderness and backcountry areas. If you're planning to camp or hike in Colorado, here are some great trails for you to explore and photograph. I've also got some pages with tips for a more comfortable backpacking trip.

Welcome to the Colorado backcountry

The vast acreage of wilderness and backcountry beauty in Colorado make it one of the more popular locations for camping, backpacking, and day-hiking.

In addition to a eight National Parks and Monuments, Colorado boasts an equal number of Wilderness Areas, millions of acres of National Forest and BLM land, and over three dozen state parks.

From mountains to deserts, and grasslands to canyons, one could spend a lifetime hiking the trails of Colorado and not cover all of them.

Beckwith Pass

Beckwith Mountain as seen from a meadow above Beckwith Pass

A pleasant hike near Kebler Pass is Beckwith Pass. The trail passes through aspen groves and meadows of wildflowers, topping out with great views from the pass. To the east is Beckwith Mountain (east and west), where the sharp eye can pick out waterfalls.

Though the trailhead is east of the Lost Lake Slough, it's possible to reach this trail from the Three Lakes trail too. Take the road over Kebler Pass, west from Crested Butte or east from the Paonia Dam.

In all the years I've been traveling the United States, hiking is my favorite way to see an area. From Hawaii to Maine, and Alaska to Florida, walking a trail is the best way to visit the natural wonders of an area. For the last ten years, I've been living in Colorado, and this is where I do most of my exploring. Explore these pages for hiking trail suggestions, as well as useful advice on backpacking and camping. From checklists for what to put in a backpack or day pack to advice on choosing campsites and minimizing your impact on the environment (i.e. leave no trace), to reviews of outdoor gear and equipment, it's all here.

Your trip guide:

I've been hiking and photographing the mountains of Colorado for over three decades. Though it's nice to return to some of my favorite trails every summer, the real thrill comes from discovering a new destination, whether on a day-hike or backpack trip, and capturing the incredible scenery with my camera.
Iconic scenes, like the Maroon Bells, are well-known to casual tourists and those who've never visited Colorado. One of my goals is to introduce the world to the amazing beauty hidden in the lesser known wilderness areas of this great state.